Lee has raised over $400,000 from more than 2000 backers and has about 20 days left to hit the $1.2 million goal for his next film, which he loosely describes as a psychological thriller about people of color. Because Kickstarter has traditionally been used by independent artists just starting out to raise funds, Spike has come under fire by some critics who think he is taking money from people who need it more. However, the “Do The Right Thing” director disagrees.

“The co-founders of Kickstarter told me ‘Spike, Kickstarter is for everybody’…I’ve had criticism from the very beginning,” he told producer Stephanie Frederic. “I’m not gonna let some idiot deter me from what I want to do.”

In the clips below watch his full response to the hate, his explanations about what the film is (and is not) about and why he needs your help. [CLICK HERE TO PLEDGE]

“A lot of people who pledged to my film never even knew about Kickstarter…”